Save money with computer and smart-phone apps

You might call yourself frugal, or even a proud cheapskate. Either way, there's an app for that. Today more and more computer and smart-phone applications are specifically designed to save you money.Here are seven apps that can save you cash.

"Saving money is more important than ever," said Tracy Sebastian.

Tracy is a busy mother of four and a writer for iPhone Life magazine.

She uses apps every day to save money.

"Anytime you need gas, groceries, you need to buy new shoes for the kids -- anything," said Tracy.

One of her favorites? Gas Buddy.

"Gas Buddy is a cool app. You just open it up, press where you are and it shows you all the gas stations in your local area and what their prices are," said Tracy.

Directions to a gas station with cheaper prices are free and just a tap away.

Got a lead-foot? Too many speeding tickets? Check out the free Cobra app.

"It tells you where the red-ight cameras are and where the local speed traps are," said Tracy.

And how many times have you gone out to lunch and been stuck with more than your share of the bill? The Check Please app can help.

"You plug in the amount of the bill, the tip you want to leave and how many people were at lunch with you. It will automatically split it up, letting each person know exactly what they owe," said Tracy.

The Mint app is all about your money. It gives you an instant snapshot of your budget, investments, overall wealth and how much you can spend. Once again, it's free.

"So when you go to that restaurant, you know if you should order the taco or the filet mignon," said Tracy.

One way you can save on your long-distance phone bill is by using Skype. Using your iPhone or your computer you can actually make these calls without any charge. Not only that, you get to see the person on the other end.

Shopping? Do it the savvy way with the free ShopSavvy app. Just scan the bar code of any product using your smart-phone's camera.

ShopSavvy then searches for the best prices online and through the inventories of nearby stores using your phone's built-in GPS.

Grocery IQ is another free shopping app. It lets you build and manage your grocery shopping list. Running out of a favorite food? Scan the barcode to add it your list. Sync or share the list with your spouse or roommate. You can even find coupons based on your location.

Now you were promised seven money-saving apps, so this is a bonus: ABC7's app can be downloaded for free onto your iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and your iPad.

Then tap on Save Money at the bottom of the screen and that's where you'll find all of our money-saving apps.